Both in static applications, for example wind turbines, and in mobile applications, for example electric motor vehicles (electric vehicles, EV), hybrid vehicles (hybrid electric vehicles, HEV) or plug-in hybrid vehicles (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, PHEV), increasing use is being made of new battery systems or battery modules, for example with lithium-ion accumulators, as rechargeable electrical energy stores (EES, electro-chemical storage system, ESS).
A battery system (accumulator system) comprises a multiplicity of battery cells (accumulator cells), for example cylindrical or prismatic battery cells or battery cells with electrode windings (battery cell windings, cell windings, Jerry Roll, JR). The battery cells may be connected in series, in order to increase the electrical voltage, and/or connected in parallel, in order to increase the maximum electrical current and the capacity. It is thus possible for the battery cells to be combined to form battery modules or battery units (battery packs). In the case of usage for driving vehicles, it is for example possible for approximately 100 battery cells to be connected in series or parallel (as a traction battery).
The battery cells are normally combined to form battery modules. For this purpose, bracing of the battery cells is necessary in order that the battery cells remain stable. Furthermore, to ensure the durability of the battery cells, it is necessary that the battery cells do not become too hot. For this purpose, a housing of the battery module is commonly equipped with a cooler, which maintains the optimum battery temperature.
DE 10 2011 003 535 A1 has disclosed a battery module with a cooler which has at least one heat transfer surface for the transfer of heat energy, wherein the energy store module has at least one abutment surface for the abutment of the heat transfer surface and has at least two module carriers which are arranged on two mutually opposite sides of the energy store module.
The device has a clamping plate with at least two connecting elements, arranged on opposite ends of the clamping plate, for the connection of the clamping plate to the module carriers, wherein the clamping plate is designed to surround the cooler over a part of the circumference, and exert a bracing force on at least sub-regions of a side of the cooler which is averted from the heat transfer surface, when the clamping plate is connected to the module carriers.